The Switch
by 84-Quill-72
Summary: Dumbledore is not happy with the way the students in 5th and 6th year have been treating each other so he instigates a house swap to try and make them see things from each others points of view. M later. A Draco/Hermione fic with a side of Ginny/Blaise
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Something's up." Ginny whispered to Hermione as they sat at the Gryffindor table, waiting for McGonagall to finish sorting the new first years. Hermione followed her friend's gaze around the staff table, she was right, something definitely was up; all the staff was anxious and looking around the hall with great anticipation.

"They look like they're waiting for You-Know-Who himself to walk through the doors." Ron said quietly; there had to be something up if _Ron_ had noticed. By the time the sorting was finished, the entire hall was buzzing with whispered theories of what could be up.

"Your attention please." Dumbledore said, standing up and waiting for silence; h didn't have to wait long, everyone was so interested to hear what was going on that they stopped talking immediately. "Now, I have noticed the serious lack of inter-house camaraderie that has plagued the school for the last few years. I am not pleased."

The students avoided looking at their headmaster, they knew that they hadn't all been the best of friends but they didn't think that it had been so obvious that Dumbledore had noticed. "Therefore, after an entire summer of deliberating, the staff and I have decided that there will be a change."

You could've heard a pin drop, there wasn't a single sound in the entire hall; all the students were thinking the same thing, _What kind of change?_

"I have decided that half the students in both fifth and sixth year will draw names from a hat, and swap houses with the student whose name they drew. This "House Swap" will last for the first half of the year, depending on how well it goes, during which time the swapped students will do their best to be good housemates to their adopted house. They will also be able to win or lose points for their adopted houses." Dumbledore smiled, "That should give you some incentive to behave properly."

The entire student body stared up at the headmaster in shock; _never_ in the history of the school had something like this had been done. "Is he even allowed to do this?" A Ravenclaw girl whispered to her neighbour who shrugged n response. All over the hall people were asking the same question, _was_ _he allowed to do such a thing_?

"Who decides the students that get to swap?" One of the Weasley twins called out, hoping he nor his twin would have to separate.

"You're heads of house have already made up their lists," Dumbledore replied calmly. "They were drawn randomly and will be announced after dinner at which time the students who were **_not_** named will be asked to return to their dormitories while those who **_were_** will be asked to remain her for the swap."

At this the feast was brought forth and the students were encouraged to eat; and while most of the younger years were happy to oblige, the fifth and sixth years spent the remainder of the feast sitting looking around at their classmates wondering which of them would be forced to leave their houses.

The end of the feast came rather quickly and all too soon they were sitting, awaiting the news of which of them were free to go. McGonagall stepped forward with a list much like the one she used a the beginning of the feast to sort the new first years.

The head of Gryffindor took a breath and began listing the fifth years that were to stay behind; after about fifteen minutes, when some were beginning to tune out a little they heard a name that shocked them: "Ginny Weasley."

The girl in question stared up at her teacher a look of dread on her young face, "Damn." She whispered for her neighbours to hear; after the clamour had died down McGonagall began reading the list of sixth years and to everyone's surprise the first three names off the list were the entire Golden Trio: Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and of course Harry Potter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The self proclaimed "doomed ones" sat at their tables watching the rest of their houses walk out of the doors to their dorms. Hermione, ever the optimist, looked at her fellow Gryffindors with a small smile.

"Come on you guys, it won't be that bad." They all turned at glare at her "It's a good idea, we're all too caught up in our own stuff to realize that we should all be working together as a combined force, not separately."

"Hermione, I think you should just let us stew." Ginny said to her friend. "It'll make us feel better." Hermione sighed and nodded; she would never understand the deep seated hatred that ran through the school. She knew people from every house and she had no reason to hate any of them; and although she wasn't particularly fond of Malfoy, she knew that most of his treatment of her was because of the way he was raised.

One by one the swap students rose to pull names from a large bowl; they would take the name, turn to face the crowd and read the name off the parchment in their hand. Harry rose when his turn came, took a piece of parchment and opened it, "Justin Finch-Fletchly." He sounded relieved to see that he hadn't gotten a Slytherin.

Ron was next and everyone was surprised to hear the name that came off his parchment, "Stewart Ackerly." The Ravenclaw stared at him in shock, obviously he hadn't wanted to go to Gryffindor. Ginny wasted no time getting her parchment but her jaw dropped when she read the name "Millicent Bulstrode." There was a a cry of outrage that rose from the Slytherin table - mainly from the girls, and the Gryffindors didn't look too happy about it either.

Hermione was one of the last people to draw and when she saw the name she didn't expect any better than what Ginny had gotten "Pansy Parkinson." She received shocked silence as everyone processed the fact that not only was the golden trio separated, but one of them was in Slytherin.

It took about an hour for everyone to get "sorted" into their new houses and afterwards Dumbledore informed them that they were now free to return to their common rooms. There was very little talking as the students formed into their groups and left the hall.

Hermione and Ginny walked together behind a group of Slytherins who all managed to give the girls the slip and they were left standing in the dungeons trying to figure out which way their new common room was.

"Need directions?" A slightly accented voice asked from behind them. They turned and found themselves face to face with the two Slytherin playboys, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.

Hermione was the first to collect herself "That would be helpful yes." She said a little quieter than she'd meant it.

"Come on, it's this way." Blaise said and started to walk beside Ginny. Draco quietly fell into step beside Hermione and the pair followed the others.

The four came upon a smooth, empty wall at the end of a long corridor. "This is the Slytherin wall." Blaise told Ginny, he had barely noticed his friend or Hermione since they'd met up with the girls. "The password is wanglewort." As he said it, the wall slid open revealing an opening. He lightly rested a hand on Ginny's elbow and steered her through "Welcome to Slytherin."

Hermione and Ginny stared around the room; it had black leather furniture and there was a green tinge to the light due to the fact that it was under the lake. Hermione found herself missing the warmth and comfort of the Gryffindor common room and felt a sense of dread when she heard Blaise pointing out how to get to the dormitories.

"We should get upstairs." Ginny said after a while of sitting with the guys. Hermione nodded and the two of them stood and went up to their new room almost dreading the sight of it.

"It's actually not that bad." Ginny said as they walked in. The room had six four poster beds much like the Gryffindor dormitories however these were covered in green and and silver bed clothes.

"It's dark." Hermione said. "Well darker than I'm used to anyway."

"We'll just have to get used to it." Ginny said as she changed into her pyjamas and started to braid her hair.

"Yeah I suppose." They picked beds next to one another and got in "This is going to be a long year." Hermione sighed as she tried to get comfy in the new bed.

"Well at least Slytherin has one thing going for it." Ginny said.

Hermione looked over at the red head "What?"

"They've got some of the hottest guys in the school and most of them are still here." She grinned.

Hermione laughed "Well I hope you enjoy them."

"Oh I will." Ginny giggled and then yawned "I'll see you in the morning Hermione."

"Good night Ginny." Came the tired reply and the girls were both asleep within minutes.

* * *

><p>Down in the common room Draco and Blaise were talking about the newest additions to their house.<p>

"Well I am going to thoroughly enjoy having Ginny here. It's been a while since we've had a girl that hot here." Blaise said with a grin.

"I always knew you had the hots for her."

"I never said I didn't. Not to mention you never actually asked me."

"True." The blonde said, recognizing defeat.

"You like the brain." Blaise watched his friend, knowing he was right but wanting to see the reaction his statement had on Draco.

"Not really." Draco shrugged "But I've never hated her." He got up, not liking the direction that their conversation was taking. "I'm going to bed. Later mate."

Blaise nodded and followed him up to their dormitory. He'd get Draco to admit the truth before the year was out, and hopefully, get him and Hermione together as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

A few days after the "switch" as it was being called, Hermione met up with Harry and Ron who looked just as off as she did in their new uniforms.

"Do you really think that Dumbledore means for us to keep this up as long as he said?" Ron asked loosening his tie as they walked.

"Probably mate. I don't think he's ever said anything he didn't mean." Harry replied looking around at the odd mix of houses. There were Slytherins sitting and talking with Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors which was quite possibly the strangest sight he'd ever seen.

"I can't believe that he went so far as to separate us. I mean he knows how much we help you doesn't he?" Ron asked in a hushed voice as his eyes searched the grounds for his sister.

"He knows." Hermione said, pushing her hair back from her face. "He probably did it to test Harry. To see if Harry can figure out how to do everything on his own. In case we get separated at some point in the future and we aren't there to help him. I have to admit, it's a good idea."

"And I suppose you find this whole Switch thing a great idea too right?" He asked rolling his eyes at Harry.

"As a matter of fact I do." She ignored the shock on the boy's faces. "We need to learn how to work together. It doesn't do to be constantly fighting with one another when we should be allying against outside forces." She sighed at the confusion she saw now.

"Don't you remember the Sorting Hat's song last year?

'_For our Hogwarts is in danger from external, deadly foes . And we must unite inside her or we'll crumble from within_'

That was a warning, a damned good one and I for one, am happy that Dumbledore's taking it to heart and putting us in a position where we have to unite."

The trio was quiet after that until Ron found Ginny and let out a choked cry.

"What the bloody hell is she doing?"

Harry and Hermione followed their friend's pointing hand to see Ginny, standing with Blaise and Draco, laughing as Crabbe and Goyle tripped over each other trying to catch a couple Chocolate Frogs.

"She's laughing." Hermione said, a small smile forming on her face as she watched.

"But do you see how close she is to the dark haired one?" He sputtered.

"Yeah..." Harry's eyes narrowed slightly, the glare directed at Blaise as he fell into step beside Ron as the latter made his way over to the group.

"Ginny, can I talk to you?" Ron asked, restraining his temper as well as he could.

"About what?" She asked, looking at him briefly.

"Would you just come over here?" That time, Ginny heard the notes of anger that colored her brother's voice.

"Why?" Her brown eyes narrowed dangerously and she shifted slightly so she faced her brother head on.

"Because I'm your older brother and I'm telling you to." Ron snapped.

"Well if that's your best reason then no. Now bugger off."

"Ginny -" Harry grabbed her wrist as she turned away. She spun back to face them and tried to pull her wrist from his hand. "Listen for a minute -"

"Let go Harry." She said, her voice quiet and her eyes hard; she sneered at him when he ignored her request "You think I'm still head over heels for you don't you? You think I'm still that doe-eyed girl who idolized you and who do almost anything you asked her to."

He said nothing but avoided her eyes.

"Well news flash, I'm not. I've realized that you're not as amazing as you think you are. Yes you saved my life and yes you're my brother's best friend, that's great but you know what else you are? You're a headcase with a hero complex; a hero complex that's going to get you killed."

His hand loosened on her wrist and his eyes went wide while everyone else started at her in shock. She pulled her wrist away "I'll be polite and whatnot when we're in the same area or with my family but other than that I don't want anything else to do with you." She took a step back before turning and walking back to the school.

Ron stared after his sister and then looked at Harry "You alright mate?"

Harry said nothing but just turned and walked away. Ron shot a glare at Malfoy and Blaise before following his friend. Hermione looked after each of her friends, unsure of who to follow but decided that Ginny probably needed her more so that was the direction she chose.

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks the teachers began to notice that there was a great deal of change happening in their students. Once shy and timid Hufflepuffs were becoming more confident; the brainy Ravenclaws, while still smart, were allowing themselves more time for fun.<p>

The only houses that, to the teachers weren't changing at all were the Slytherins and the Gryffindors; this was of course not true, many of the switched students were finding a new freedom that came from being in a different house and held to the restricting stereotypes of the house they started in.

Some Slytherins - those of whom were in Gryffindor - were starting to discover that there was more to life than being sly and cunning. And those switched Gryffindors - some of them at least - were finding that the life of Slytherins was appealing.

"This is going to be a very interesting year." McGonagall mused as she watched a group of students that were once Gryffindors.

"Indeed." Snape replied quietly as he watch Ginny and Hermione walking down the hall with Draco and Blaise, looking for all the world like true Slytherins instead of the Gryffindors they were.


End file.
